1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the area of machine tools, and more specifically to that area of machine tools concerned with supporting taps and drills during use so that holes are drilled straight and tapped straight.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, inventors designed drill or tap guides which generally consisted of square or rectangular blocks with holes of given diameters drilled in them. When starting a drill or beginning to a tap a hole, the operator held the tap-guide block tightly against the piece of material being drilled or tapped to direct the bit or tap. Further inventive efforts were directed toward tap guides with coded and interchangeable drill bushings, designed so that a single tap or drill guide block could be used for drills of many different sizes.
Applicant is unaware of any invention which teaches the unique aspects of the present invention, specifically a construction such as that of the present invention in which the tap or drill guide is sufficiently flexible to enable an operator to use the tap or drill guide in small spaces.